Sure, using technology at night is said to keep you awake longer, but could it also help you relax and let you get more—and better—sleep? That’s the promise of the soothing sounds available for iPods and from various sleep apps for your iPhone or iPod touch. Consider these options:
Search for soothing songs on iTunes. Think waterfalls, rain, yoga and “sleep time” mixes. Go to the iTunes Store and search for “sleep music.” The long list of songs that pop up range from “Moonlight Sonata” and “Meditation on Tranquility,” to “Reiki Music” and “Forest Rain.”
The iSoothe app (99 cents) lets you choose sounds to unwind to. Options like "cityscape," which features the noises of Times Square, may only appeal to city dwellers, but choices like “ocean shore,” “tropical forest” and “benevolent storm” have more mass appeal.
AmbiScience Pure Sleep (99 cents) is a mix of nine songs that promise “entrainment,” that is, to lead you toward relaxation in a step-wise fashion.
TheiSleepAid (99 cents) app plays peaceful sounds rather than actual songs.